Many Southern cities were among the first to ease stay-at-home restrictions. As our regional update page reports, this has resulted in an uptick in coronavirus hotspots across the South with experts predicting a second wave in parts of Texas, Alabama, and Florida specifically.
While it’s expected that the South will see some of the longest-lasting impacts when compared to other regions, there’s still been an uptick in users searching for hotels in the South. So what’s a hotel marketer to do? Utilize social media to connect with your audience, provide informative updates, and rekindle guest interest in a future stay.
These resorts and hotels show you what type of content to post now that will prepare you (and your guests) for whatever happens next.
Connect With the Community
San Antonio, Texas’s Hotel Contessa is located directly on the city’s famous Riverwalk. Not surprisingly, their location is a major draw for travelers to San Antonio. Strolling down the walk or taking a boat ride are popular attractions, so the hotel made sure to let potential customers know that cruises have resumed after pausing services for COVID-19.
If your location is a unique selling point for your hotel, make sure to share attraction status updates that tourists would want to know about.
“We’re all in this together” has been the theme during the coronavirus pandemic, and Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort embodied that sentiment by supporting their employees during the resort’s closure. The Texas resort’s Club Members helped fund the Tapatio Cares Pantry to provide groceries and household supplies for their associates, and the social media posts show how the donations were put to great use.
Situated directly on campus, the Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center is the place to stay for Aggie students, families, and alumni. While the hotel would typically be abuzz with activity around the graduation season, the university had to cancel their commencement ceremonies due to coronavirus.
In a statement from the hotel, they said, “This unique time in our history is preventing some of the key celebrations that senior Aggies hold so dear...as the 'guesthouse' of the university we want to recognize our senior Aggie team members as well as your senior Aggie in our own special way. Let's spread a word of encouragement and celebrate Aggie senior's achievements and accomplishments.
”To help the Aggie community celebrate, the hotel created an “Aggie Senior Spirit” social media contest to acknowledge the graduating class of 2020. The contest winner was announced on social media and the prize includes a private senior celebration at the hotel’s Block T Lounge for up to 20 people and a two-night stay in one of our Texas A&M Hotel suites -- ideal for celebrating that hard-earned degree.
Share Hotel Updates to Set Guest Expectations
With temperatures regularly soaring above 90°F, Hotel Contessa’s rooftop pool is the place to be during the summer in San Antonio. The hotel let potential guests know that this amenity is indeed open, which may be just the key to convincing a local to book a staycation to cool off.
Dallas’s Downtown Marriott hotel also took to social media to announce their reopening with an eye-catching graphic.
Whatever your hotel’s current status, it’s likely that potential guests will check your social media channels to see if you’re open, so make sure to provide that information. A text overlay like this post clearly communicates your status and will stand out in a user’s feed.
Located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, the Fulton Lane Inn epitomizes Southern hospitality with this cancellation policy post. The Inn empathized with their audience, thanked them for the support, and clearly provided relevant cancellation information.
La Cantera Resort & Spa has been on the forefront of innovation during COVID-19 (learn about their “La Cantera Connected” content hub here) and their recent posts have continued the trend. Golf is one of the unique selling points for the resort so they made sure to announce when guests can expect to hit the tee again and enjoy lunch at the course’s grill.
The resort took informative updates even further by sharing this infographic that outlines the specific cleanliness measures their Signature restaurant has implemented. This is a great example of how to adjust to the “new normal” of hotel safety & cleanliness procedures while also creating content that reassures guests.
Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center also made sure to let guests know that their safety is their top priority with this photo of a masked and glass-protected front desk agent. If your hotel has altered the check-in experience, use social media to visually communicate what guests can expect upon their arrival.
South Carolina’s Wild Dunes Resort is known for its “best in state” golf courses, so it was crucial to let their fans know that the courses reopened. The resort combined the reopening announcement with a link to their stay & play packages, making this a hole-in-one social post.
Is there anything better than enjoying an ice cream after splashing around a waterpark? Texas’s family-friendly Woodlands Resort knows how important sweet treats are to parents of young children, so they let them know that individually-wrapped ice creams are available to assuage any cleanliness concerns.
Incite a Sense of Nostalgia
While Hotel Contessa was temporarily closed, they started a photo contest to rekindle guest memories of their stay in San Antonio. Since 75% of travelers said that they want to hear from hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic, a “share your vacation” memory contest is a wonderful way to connect with your guests and get them excited about another stay at your hotel. Discover more ideas for hotel giveaways here.
Wild Dunes Resort's signature restaurant, Coastal Provisions, is a guest favorite due to its craft cocktails and locally sourced seafood. Their social team capitalized on the restaurant's beverage offerings (and participated in #NationalRoseDay) with this cocktail recipe that allows guests to enjoy a taste of the beach vacation life from the comfort of their own kitchen. If you’re planning to share a recipe from your F&B outlet, check this list of upcoming hashtag holidays to see if there’s a day that aligns with your recipe to increase post-exposure.
Did you enjoy the read?
Get original hospitality industry insights delivered to your inbox. Sign up to receive Screen Pilot’s Weekly COVID-19 Resource Center Update.
Many Southern cities were among the first to ease stay-at-home restrictions. As our regional update page reports, this has resulted in an uptick in coronavirus hotspots across the South with experts predicting a second wave in parts of Texas, Alabama, and Florida specifically.
While it’s expected that the South will see some of the longest-lasting impacts when compared to other regions, there’s still been an uptick in users searching for hotels in the South. So what’s a hotel marketer to do? Utilize social media to connect with your audience, provide informative updates, and rekindle guest interest in a future stay.
These resorts and hotels show you what type of content to post now that will prepare you (and your guests) for whatever happens next.
Connect With the Community
San Antonio, Texas’s Hotel Contessa is located directly on the city’s famous Riverwalk. Not surprisingly, their location is a major draw for travelers to San Antonio. Strolling down the walk or taking a boat ride are popular attractions, so the hotel made sure to let potential customers know that cruises have resumed after pausing services for COVID-19.
If your location is a unique selling point for your hotel, make sure to share attraction status updates that tourists would want to know about.
“We’re all in this together” has been the theme during the coronavirus pandemic, and Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort embodied that sentiment by supporting their employees during the resort’s closure. The Texas resort’s Club Members helped fund the Tapatio Cares Pantry to provide groceries and household supplies for their associates, and the social media posts show how the donations were put to great use.
Situated directly on campus, the Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center is the place to stay for Aggie students, families, and alumni. While the hotel would typically be abuzz with activity around the graduation season, the university had to cancel their commencement ceremonies due to coronavirus.
In a statement from the hotel, they said, “This unique time in our history is preventing some of the key celebrations that senior Aggies hold so dear...as the 'guesthouse' of the university we want to recognize our senior Aggie team members as well as your senior Aggie in our own special way. Let's spread a word of encouragement and celebrate Aggie senior's achievements and accomplishments.
”To help the Aggie community celebrate, the hotel created an “Aggie Senior Spirit” social media contest to acknowledge the graduating class of 2020. The contest winner was announced on social media and the prize includes a private senior celebration at the hotel’s Block T Lounge for up to 20 people and a two-night stay in one of our Texas A&M Hotel suites -- ideal for celebrating that hard-earned degree.
Share Hotel Updates to Set Guest Expectations
With temperatures regularly soaring above 90°F, Hotel Contessa’s rooftop pool is the place to be during the summer in San Antonio. The hotel let potential guests know that this amenity is indeed open, which may be just the key to convincing a local to book a staycation to cool off.
Dallas’s Downtown Marriott hotel also took to social media to announce their reopening with an eye-catching graphic.
Whatever your hotel’s current status, it’s likely that potential guests will check your social media channels to see if you’re open, so make sure to provide that information. A text overlay like this post clearly communicates your status and will stand out in a user’s feed.
Located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, the Fulton Lane Inn epitomizes Southern hospitality with this cancellation policy post. The Inn empathized with their audience, thanked them for the support, and clearly provided relevant cancellation information.
La Cantera Resort & Spa has been on the forefront of innovation during COVID-19 (learn about their “La Cantera Connected” content hub here) and their recent posts have continued the trend. Golf is one of the unique selling points for the resort so they made sure to announce when guests can expect to hit the tee again and enjoy lunch at the course’s grill.
The resort took informative updates even further by sharing this infographic that outlines the specific cleanliness measures their Signature restaurant has implemented. This is a great example of how to adjust to the “new normal” of hotel safety & cleanliness procedures while also creating content that reassures guests.
Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center also made sure to let guests know that their safety is their top priority with this photo of a masked and glass-protected front desk agent. If your hotel has altered the check-in experience, use social media to visually communicate what guests can expect upon their arrival.
South Carolina’s Wild Dunes Resort is known for its “best in state” golf courses, so it was crucial to let their fans know that the courses reopened. The resort combined the reopening announcement with a link to their stay & play packages, making this a hole-in-one social post.
Is there anything better than enjoying an ice cream after splashing around a waterpark? Texas’s family-friendly Woodlands Resort knows how important sweet treats are to parents of young children, so they let them know that individually-wrapped ice creams are available to assuage any cleanliness concerns.
Incite a Sense of Nostalgia
While Hotel Contessa was temporarily closed, they started a photo contest to rekindle guest memories of their stay in San Antonio. Since 75% of travelers said that they want to hear from hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic, a “share your vacation” memory contest is a wonderful way to connect with your guests and get them excited about another stay at your hotel. Discover more ideas for hotel giveaways here.
Wild Dunes Resort's signature restaurant, Coastal Provisions, is a guest favorite due to its craft cocktails and locally sourced seafood. Their social team capitalized on the restaurant's beverage offerings (and participated in #NationalRoseDay) with this cocktail recipe that allows guests to enjoy a taste of the beach vacation life from the comfort of their own kitchen. If you’re planning to share a recipe from your F&B outlet, check this list of upcoming hashtag holidays to see if there’s a day that aligns with your recipe to increase post-exposure.
Did you enjoy the read?
Get original hospitality industry insights delivered to your inbox. Sign up to receive Screen Pilot’s Weekly COVID-19 Resource Center Update.
